When to patent your invention

You need only patent your invention just before releasing it to the public (i.e. disclosing your invention without confidentiality agreements). As long as you can maintain your unpatented invention secret, you are ok.

All prototypers, industrial designers, engineers, potential manufacturers and funders you approach should willingly sign confidentialities. Don’t worry about patent attorneys – the law obliges them to keep your invention secret.

We take great care in ensuring confidentiality. Not only is our prototyping facility located within the safe environment of a patent law firm. We also ensure that any disclosures by us are regulated by our confidentiality undertakings (which are drafted by an expert commercial lawyer). You can count on us to keep your invention secret.

Also, at the outset, we assign all intellectual property we may develop to you. If you later wish to use our CAD models, make copies of posters, reproduce 3D prints, etc. you are free to do so. There is no need to ask our permission – they are yours.

After prototyping is complete, one of our patent attorneys will discuss features of your product that may be patentable or design registrable. This is usually the best time to file a patent. You then have 12 months to develop your product further and any modifications or additions you come up with during this period can be added to your complete patent.

Don’t worry about secrecy, prototype development and your intellectual property strategy. We will guide you through the process.